Abstract:
Continuous quality improvement of hospital health services to meet safety standards and
safety service reveals that hospitals recognizes the importance of patient safety. Activities aiming
to enhance safety and safety learning processes are beneficial in increasing patients knowledge
of hospital safety. This cross-sectional survey research aimed to study patients perception of
hospital safety, patients roles in creating safety and factors relating to patient hospital safety
perception, perceived patient roles in creating safety, and patient safety behaviors. The samples
consisted of 400 patients who attended 12 units of the Out-Patient and In - Patient Departments.
The data were collected using a self administered questionnaire during January and March, 2007.
The data were analysed by computing frequency, percentage, standard deviation, Chi-square test, and
Pearsons Product Moment Correlation.
It was found that 45.5 % of the patients hold a high risk level of perception about
hospital safety; 54.0 % had a high level of perceived roles in carry out safety activities; 89.0 %
had the most appropriate level of safety behaviors; 58.3 % of the Service Department had
established incomplete safety activities for patients while 75 % had implemented learning
processes about safety at the moderate level. The variables that were found to be significantly
related to perceived hospital safety at the 0.05 significant level were sex, education level, activities
for hospital safety implemented by the Service Departments, and learning process about safety
implemented by the Service Department. Regarding personal characteristics, education was found to be
significantly related to patients perceived roles in creating safety at the p = 0.05 level. In addition
a, significant relationship was found between patients perceived hospital safety and perceived
roles in creating safety for themselves.( p = 0.05 )
Hospital quality improvement through hospital accreditation emphasizing patient safety
should emphasize in facilitaling learning process on a patient participation process by enhancing staff s
skill. It is recommended that this type of study should be carried out in other hospitals of the same size
but in a different policy and sociocultural environment before drawing any policy recommendation or
accreditation standard regarding hospital safety